The present invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.
In order to clean rooms used as human dwellings from biological contaminations, i.e. germs and other microorganisms, viruses and bacteria, but also from bigger organisms, such as the well-known and dangerous household dust mite, numerous possibilities and approaches have become known. Only recently, for example, a special chemical substance has been introduced into the market which is intended for fighting the household dust mite (see journal "highTech 2/88, p. 63) and with which carpets and the like can be sprayed. However, the activity of this agent has been limited deliberately to the household dust mite and its disagreeable consequences, such as allergic reactions of persons which are attacked by this species of mite and its secretions. It must be questioned if it will be possible in this manner to fight the mite effectively, because this would require that all rooms be treated very carefully with the vaporized agent, which would mean a still further contamination for the environment since the agent must necessarily be based on chemical substances.
It has also been generally known for some time to use a disinfecting radiation in air conditioning systems or air humidifiers; and finally one has also tried to equip vacuum cleaners or similar devices in such a manner that the exhaust air generated by the vacuum cleaner is exposed to a disinfecting ultraviolet radiation (DE-OS No. 29 10 104; DE-OS No. 30 09 365). The exhaust air may be treated in this case either by subjecting it to the ultraviolet radiation in a gate, or by arranging a UV disinfector as a final filtering element for the exhaust air, wherein a plurality of UV radiators are arranged in longitudinal direction around a channel which is connected with the exhaust pipe (DE-OS No. 30 09 365).
It is a problem of these arrangements used for disinfecting the exhaust air of a vacuum cleaner that their principle consists in fighting only the consequences of the biological contamination of rooms, i.e. the microorganisms, fine dusts, bacteria and viruses, which have been picked up by the vacuum cleaner, while the place of origin, for example floor coverings of any type, rugs, curtains, upholstery, are not treated at all. Futher, it seems to be a problem that the exhaust air passes the disinfecting zone at considerable speed so that one cannot always be sure that all germs and other biological contaminations are subjected to a sufficient dose of the disinfectant. If this cannot be guaranteed, the treatment of the air in the vacuum cleaner only leads to the contaminant biological substances being additionally swirled. In any case, however, the evil cannot be pulled out by the root.
Now, it is the object of the present invention to remedy this situation and to ensure effectively, though over an extended period of time, that the disinfecting action of the UV radiation and/or a UV disinfector can be achieved efficiently and directly at the place of origin of the contamination, without any need for additional efforts or the use for the use of especially trained people.